We’re getting the first look at Alias Grace, the new six-hour miniseries from Netflix, CBC and Sarah Polley (Away from Her) and Noreen Halpern’s Halfire Entertainment. The mini is inspired by the historical true story of convicted murderer Grace Marks and based on Margaret Atwood’s novel.

The story of Alias Grace follows Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a poor, young Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Upper Canada who, along with stable hand James McDermott (Kerr Logan), was convicted of the brutal murders of their employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin), in 1843. James was hanged while Grace was sentenced to life imprisonment. Grace became one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of 1840s Canada for her supposed role in the sensational double murder, and was eventually exonerated after 30 years in jail. Her conviction was controversial, and sparked much debate about whether Grace was actually involved in the murder, or merely an unwitting accessory.

Alias Grace is written and produced by Sarah Polley (Looking for Alaska, Take this Waltz, Away from Her) and directed by Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol). The series is a co-production with Halfire Entertainment, CBC and Netflix. The executive producers are Polley, Harron, and Noreen Halpern.

The series will be broadcast in Canada on CBC and will stream everywhere else globally on Netflix on Friday, November 3.